When you have a moment, check out my interview with NPR and Fox News journalist Juan Williams regarding his provocative book, Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America—and What We Can Do About It.
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Great interview! I’m a Juan Williams fan. Was just talking about him yesterday, and try to watch him every Sunday on Fox News. I brought the Enough book but haven’t sat down to read it yet. Am very excited to do so after reading your interview.
Juan Williams is a pretty level-headed, balanced voice out there, so he’s worth listening to. What I like is that he doesn’t let anyone off the hook. He manages to combine a message of personal responsibility with that of social justice. Sound brother.
Thanks for notifying readers of this interview, Ed. I really like it.
I’m a Juan Williams “fan” as well, and am always interested in what he has to say. He has the experience, the clout, and the vision (as well as the courage to speak potently) to offer constructive proposals for serious issues. I’m interested to read more about the role he sees the church playing in all of this. In hindsight, in a certain kind of way the work he and Quinton Dixie did on _This Far By Faith_ provided an interesting foundation for what role he sees the church playing in social, cultural, and economic renewal and vitality.
Perhaps he delves into this in the book (which I haven’t read yet), but I wonder Ed if you could shed any more light on Juan Williams’s spiritual journey,? Or perhaps you or other readers might point us to places where he’s spoken or written about all of this?
Phil,
I’ve interviewed Juan a couple of times now. I know he’s a committed Christian who attends an Episcopal church in Washington, D.C. During our first interview in 2003, after the release of This Far By Faith, he explained how, before working on that book, he had thought of his faith as a mostly private thing, but that his feelings began to change as he saw the response to the book. You can find that old interview at the CT website here: http://www.ctlibrary.com/9022. However, it may be locked behind their paid access area, so be prepared for that. But here’s the portion of the conversation I’m referring to:
“In my own life experience, my relationship with God has been key, but I always thought of it as a relatively private thing. Most people who know me as a political journalist don’t think of me as a guy with a deep spiritual life, even though I attend church regularly.
“But all of a sudden I write this book, and in terms of the interviews, the audiences at book signings, the speeches and opportunities that have come as a result of it, I am knocked out by how central faith is to so many people’s lives and how the question of faith in American life—even in postmodern America 2003—has a power that is truly awe inspiring.”
I hope this helps shed a little more light.
Peace,
Ed G.
Another Phil here. Just got “Enough” and have read the first 2 chapters. He doesn’t mince words does he? I’m interested in seeing how he will treat Rev. Jackson. Has anyone run across responses to his book from Dyson, Jackson, and NPR colleague, Tavis Smiley?
Hey there, “Another Phil.”
Juan mentions a bit of Jackson’s response in my interview. There’s also a few articles out there that you can find through Google that recount some of the criticism from Jackson, Sharpton, and others.
Dyson, as you probably know, wrote an entire book on why Bill Cosby was wrong. (The title: “Is Bill Cosby Right?”) And Williams and Dyson actually appeared on BookTV together last year to discuss the issue on the “AfterWords” program. It was a compelling hour of television. And despite Dyson’s rhetorical prowess, Williams really held his own. You might want to check BookTV.org to see if that show is still available online.
Ed G.
B”H
Hey Ed,
Thanks once again for writing a truly excellent article in CT. I don’t know how much feedback you get, I hope it’s a lot, but I have a feeling that on topics like this a far greater number of people are impacted and provoked to thought than will admit it. So be it I guess. You are planting seeds for change which may not be harvested until the next generation, but you are laboring in the LORD’s service and He will bring forth the yield from your efforts in His own time.
In response to the question posed by Phil the psychologist, “Has anyone run across responses to this book …?” I posted a link to an article written last year by Erin Aubry Kaplan in the LA Times wherein she takes Juan Williams to task over this book. You can find the link on my site in the Feb 2, 2007 post I wrote.
I’m really glad to see so much discussion of this topic as I think it is of the utmost importance. I certainly understand the hesitation on the part of many white readers and bloggers as this is primarily a black community issue, taking responsibility for our own destiny, but in the larger sense and especially within the context of the community of believers, we are all bond together as one loaf. Whatever happens to one member or sector of the body effects all. We certainly need to rejoice together when one member is honored, but we also need to mourn together when one is injured or wounded.
More to follow shortly,
Shlomo
Thanks Shlomo for your words of wisdom — “we certainly need to mourn together when one is injured or wounded.” On that note, there is much that is happening to black people that hurts right now. Everyone should be aware of what’s happening in Louisiana to hte Jena 6 — 6 black boys whose lives are being wrongfully destroyed. Google it if you must, I don’t know how to add the link– but you need to see what is happening right now in our enlightenend society. How about the young black girl, held for a week and tortured and raped by six whites in W. Virginia? I’m ready to explode and I know that’s not the right response.
Yes, Juan is one of my favories — I have followed his career on NPR for yeares and I especially enjoyed his book, “This Far by Faith.” Great interview, Ed.
Thanks, Ed G., for the info and sharing more of your experiences. Shlomo, your words, as always, are timely, encouraging, and wise; thank you. Ed C., I stand in solidarity. Your words are wise as well. I’ve been following both stories, and some moments I’m sad, others angry. I mourn. I pray. Lord, here our prayers.
Correction: it should be “Lord, hear our prayers.”
I appreciate dropping the infromation on us. Very helpful. I do agree with Bill Cosby in both his premises and much of his statements. I wish that Mr. Cosby could find a good solid bible teaching church to attend. I don’t know where he is in that regard.
I would love to see our brothers temper some of the socialogical issues, with a little theological base from a conservative perspective. But don’t stop dealing with the issues brothers.
But I appreciate where he and Juan Williams are coming from though. Good post Ed!
B”H
Hey Ed,
The beat goes on my brother. While all sorts of people have taken to sounding in with various responses to Bill Cosby and his message I noticed that he and Dr. Alvin Poussaint have written a new book on the topic themselves, Come On People: On The Path From Victims to Victors. Have you seen it yet? I ordered it, but have not received it yet. I hope to see a new post of some type here soon.
Blessings,
Shlomo
Juan Williams and the great majority of the toadies at Fox news are a sad disgrace to their profession. Juan Williams is a nightly, regrettable affront to his ethnicity and if it wrent for his tenure would be fired by PBS in an instant. Most of the “journalists” on Fox are laughable in how they cover news.
That is my opinion of him. It’s not that there arent other media figures from other networks that are biased its just that with Fo news it is always so undisguised and even worse…the presentation of their reports is generally bush-league like some high school journalism class or something. If your going to be apologists for authoritarian and plutocratic regimes it should at least be done with some level of decorum and intelligence. My opinion thanks for asking…